craftsman lathe

tkrrox · Sep 20, 2008

i just picked this up...and i will admit i have no knowledge of lathes...i did do some research and found that altas built these...
http://www.lathes.co.uk/craftsman/index.html
a lot of what i've learned is by the sight above...
i am curious on if the altas parts are interchangeable and if anyone has insight if i just wasted my money or it was a decent purchase...i was given 2 motors with it and i haven't wired it yet to see it work...the bearings feel good, but the sled did have play, which i'm thinking/hoping i can adjust out....

any insight will be helpful...the pics on the sight above are close to the model but have differences...

thanks
taryn kelley

Mike C. · Sep 20, 2008

One of our members has this same lathe... Dan ? (can't remember his last name right off)from Altlanta. He came to the Southeast meet this year. Maybe he'll chime in. I know this is the same lathe as his due to the lack of a backgear. I thought he had a modified lathe or just hadn't figured it out, but it must be the same machine.

If you didn't pay too much for it, this is probably going to be a decent little machine, as long as you don't expect more out of it than it can obviously deliver. Best part is that is looks to be pretty completely tooled up. If you are making model airplane parts or the like, this will be a great machine. Lack of micrometer dials can be dealt with by using a dial indicator against the slides for precision work.

Lack of backgear means you'll be limited to high speeds and light cuts, but for the size and weight of the machine, that's probably good. This would be an excellent addition, even if you have a larger lathe. A tiny, high speed machine like this is extremely handy for fine work where the big machine can get clumsy.

Dave D · Sep 20, 2008

A lot of the Atlas parts are interchangeable depending upon the swing of the lathe. There are a number of good internet sites with info and I think also a Yahoo group. These lathes are serviceable for light (homeshop) machining. I didn't see any change gears in the pics but all sorts of Atlas parts are sold on Ebay on a regular basis. Dave

5thwheel · Sep 20, 2008

I had one of these little lathes as my first lathe. Very good little starter lathe for small projects. This has bronze bushings for bearings so you need to keep them lubricated and adjusted. You lathe is missing the cover fro the headstock and also missing the back gear. The back gear on this lathe is important when turning larger diameters.

Ryland · Sep 20, 2008

Wow, Im amazed you haven't been torn to shreds for posting this. Atlas/Craftsman lathes are generally not talked about on here do to their poorer construction (Zamac parts). Don't tell anyone but I have a 12X36 Craftsman that Ive had for a little over a year and it has been very good so far. I haven't asked it to do much yet, just turning CR steel, AL and PVC and for those it has worked quite well. I wish the cross slide and compound were a little sturdier but so far it has been great for light hobby use.

Ryland

Mad Dad · Sep 21, 2008

Looks like 10" model to me. The beds are not hardened on these lathes so wear can be a big problem, especially near the headstock. The gears for threading are made of some type of pot metal and don't take much abuse. Despite the problems with these Atlas / Craftsman lathes they do have a big following due to the fact that they can easily be moved. There are a ton of parts available for these lathes still available from Clausing and Sears. Ebay is another good source. It's a good lathe to learn on as it is much less likely to seriously hurt you when compared to a much heavier lathe such as a Clausing 5900.

tkrrox · Sep 21, 2008

it did come with change gears for threading

....what is a backgear you are saying i'm missing???? i purchased it for 200 bucks so i think i did okay for a starter until i figure out what i am doing...

also what are these????

i'm sorry i am a newbie, but your insight is greatly appreciated...
taryn kelley

AeroncaChamp · Sep 21, 2008

....what is a backgear you are saying i'm missing????

This is my Atlas headstock which has backgears - they form a reduction set with the gears on the spindle, reducing spindle RPM and increasing torque by a factor of ~six when they are engaged.

MarcD · Sep 21, 2008

tkrrox said:
also what are these????

i'm sorry i am a newbie, but your insight is greatly appreciated...
taryn kelley

Taryn,

A bit of advise for you: lathe parts are heavy, the sandals have to go!

wippin' boy · Sep 21, 2008

those are drive dogs
used to spin part when your turning between centers as opposed to holding one end in chuck

Mad Dad · Sep 21, 2008

You did good at $200. Once you learn how to use it and discover all it's short comings you will be ready to move onto a heavier lathe. You will have no problem getting your money out of this lathe when the time comes to sell it.

Mad Dad · Sep 21, 2008

Another thing I just noticed is that the head is the old style with the babbit bearings. You can tell this by the fact that the bearing caps are bolt-on type. These can be a big problem if they are worn out as the babbit bearing are poured in molten state and then machined or hand filed (if you have the skills) to correct diameter. Your lathe probably dates back to the 1940's. There are small brass shims under the caps that can be removed to compenstate for wear. Since you are missing the back gear that tells me that someone has had the lathe apart and I would bet that those shims are now missing.

Mike C. · Sep 21, 2008

This lathe may have never had a backgear. I thought the same thing about Dan's lathe, but it seems some of the older ones came from the factory with no backgear. I also see the keyway in the spindle where the backgear should go, but notice the indexing pin goes into holes in the pulley. With a backgear, the index pin engages the face of the bull gear.

Wow, $200 is not bad considering what all you got with this. As I said, even if you get a bigger lathe later, this would be a great companion to even a 10 or 12" lathe for fine work and quick polishing.

As wippin' boy says, the lathe dogs are for driving work between centers. This is the most accurate way to turn. You centerdrill the work, put the faceplate on the lathe (looks like a chuck with no jaws), and a dead center into the spindle taper. Clamp the dog to the end of the work and insert the tail of the dog through the slots in the faceplate. Put a center in the tailstock and run it up (better to use a ball bearing center without a backgear or you can burn up a center). You can now turn very accurately and even remove the part and turn it around the other way without getting off center.

Forgot to add.... watch your speed with dogs. They obviously throw things out of balance. Don't want your lathe beating itself to death and/or chasing you across the bench.

tkrrox · Sep 21, 2008

i think it is a 12'' lathe

Mad Dad · Sep 21, 2008

Yep, judging from your picture it's a 12"

Dave D · Sep 21, 2008

Try this site for tables and other info on Atlas lathes.
http://bellsouthpwp.net/t/h/thib9564/Atlas_Lathe_FAQ.htm
Glad to see that you have the change gears. If your Atlas slings oil out of the headstock bearings try switching to a heavier machine oil and/or put felt in the oil cups. As long as the headstock bearings have a continuous supply of oil they will last a long time. Have fun. Dave

Gewehr 98 · Sep 21, 2008

I would've never expected such a warm welcome to these lathes on this board! Given that, I will share my own recent Cincinnati craigslist discovery....

I bought the below lathe for super cheap yesterday (Saturday). It's in great shape, if you can overlook the fact that she fell over fairly recently :bawling:

The crossfeed handwheel is broke, and the crossfeed screw bent; the tailstock wheel is broke; the leadscrew support on the tailstock-end is broke; and the rear leg of the headstock end shattered, and all that is left is about 1" of casting holding it up....

Good points: excellent ways, backgear and change gears are all perfect, nice original paint, all oilers present, excellent leadscrew. Came with a 3/4" Jacobs chuck for the tailstock, a Union 3-jaw scroll chuck, and a nice vintage Delco 1/4 horse.

This is a 10" Atlas with 42" bed (about 24" of usable c-to-c), power crossfeed, backgear, and with Timken bearing'd headstock. This also has a leadscrew reversing lever.

Mad Dad · Sep 21, 2008

Gewehr, looks like you have the original Atlas lathe stand. That's a nice option to have.

I wouldn't worry about the broken parts. There is always someone parting out a lathe on Ebay.

Gewehr 98 · Sep 21, 2008

Mad Dad said:
Gewehr, looks like you have the original Atlas lathe stand. That's a nice option to have.

I wouldn't worry about the broken parts. There is always someone parting out a lathe on Ebay.

Thanks Mad Dad! Unfortunately the rear leg of the headstock is seen below: it has about 1" of material holding it up, I will have to fab up a new angle iron leg for the headstock end. The motor and countershaft were bolted to this area, and that was apparently too much weight and nearly the whole leg shattered when she tumbled. Fortunately the tailstock-end legs are perfect. For the money I gave for the whole deal, I ain't complaining.....

Mike C. · Sep 21, 2008

If you have the pieces of that leg, this is an easy braze fix. If you could get a piece of steel on the back side to reinforce the damage in addition to the braze, even better.

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